Apparatus foe



Sept. 12, 193%.

P. WlT TE APPARATUS FOR FORMING BLANKS FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed March16, 1938 2 he ts-sheet 1 INVENTOR, BY PAL/L W772i.

MTTORNEY.

Sept. 12, 1939.

P. WITTE APPARATUS FOR FORMING BLANKS FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed March16, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR.

- P404 PV/TTE.

' a 5 ATTORNEY.

vBY

Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Paul Witte, NewMilford, N. J., assig'nor to White Metals Manufacturing Company,

Hoboken,

N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 16, 1938, SerialNo. 196,163

6 Claims.

My present invention relatesto apparatus for forming of a blank or slugof soft ductile material suitable for forming a collapsible tube.

Collapsible tubes for containing pastes, such as tooth paste, shavingcream and similar materials, are formed of soft and very ductile alloys,such as alloys of tin and lead. In forming a collapsible tube, a slug orblank of a metal or alloy is placed in a hollow die having the outsideshape and dimensions of the tube to be formed, and into this die thereis forced an inner plunger die of the internal shape and dimensions ofthe tube to be formed. As the inner die member is forced into the hollowdie it compresses the soft ductile slug and causes the latter to flowinto the narrow space between the inner and outer dies. The tube thusformed has a neck portion generally with an opening therethrough, ashoulder of relatively thin material and a body of a thickness of 'onlya few thousandths of an inch so that it has the appearance of a thin,seamless sheet of metal.

The pressure required to cause the ductile metal to flow into the thinor narrow passages and to fill all of the spaces between the inner andouter dies is very great. The extrusion of the metal into the narrowpassages between the dies is, however, facilitated and made more uniformand dependable if the blank or slug is accurately positioned in thehollow die and is accurately shaped for the most effective extrusion andis such that the pressure applied would be effective directly to causethe metal to How w th a minimum of distortion. The extrusion of themetal into the spaces between the dies is also facilitated in myinvention by having a central opening corresponding to the passagethrough the neck of the tube so that the metal does not have to besqueezed from this central part by the impact of one die on the other.My present invention provides a machine or apparatus whereby slugs orblanks of the above type may be automatically and accurately formed.

The various features of my invention are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatusembodying the preferred form of the machine for forming the blanks orslugs according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a circular vertical section taken through the machine on thepath of travel of molding cavities in the machine.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a diametric cross section through a blank or slug embodying myinvention.

In my invention the metal to form the tube blanks is melted and ispoured in a substantially continuous stream into mold cavities which are5 brought successively below the pouring spout. These mold cavities arearranged in endless series and are of generally cylindrical or circularshape with a post positioned axially thereof. The bottom of the moldcavity is formed by a vertically 10 slidable plunger which is in itslowermost position and below the pouring spout so as to leave a shallowcasting space of a depth equal to the thickness of the blank or slug tobe formed. Each casting cavity moves past the pouring spout to receive acharge of the poured metal and thence underneath machining scraperswhich scrape or machine away all of the metal down to the upper edge ofthe cavity, or to a predetermined distance from the upper face of theplunger. Thereafter the plunger is lifted to eject the slug thus formedwhich is pushed to one side, and the plunger then drops to positionready to receive a second casting of metal.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the moltenmetal for casting flows downwardly from a hopper l0 through a dischargepipe ll extending through a furnace or heater l2 to a discharge spoutI3. The heater l2 may be heated by any suitable means such as the fluidfuel burners I l. The molten metal flowing downwardly through thedischarge spout l3 flows over a guide I5 onto a casting table I6 whichis rotated by means of the worm drive l8 from any suitable source ofpower. The casting table it is provided with a circular series ofcasting cavities ll so positioned that as the table I6 is rotated, theyare brought successively below the delivery end of the casting spout ortrough I5.

It will be understood that the casting table I6 as shown in Fig. 1rotates clockwise, looking downwardly. Each of the casting cavities I1is formed by a collar l9 set into the table It and having a machinedcylindrical inner surface within which fits a verticallyslidable plunger20. The plunger 20 has a central bore to receive a vertical. post 2| andhas diametric slots 22 through which there extend arms 23 and 24 forsupporting the post 2| from the collar H]. The slots 22 are much widervertically than the connecting arms 23 and 24 to permit the plunger 20to move from the lowermost position shown in Fig. 3 to the level of thetable l6, thereby to eject the completed slugs and permit them to bebrushed from the table.

After each cavity has been filled from the pouring spout or trough 15,it rotates throughout a considerable part of the periphery of the tableas, for example, more than during which time it is cooled andsolidified. To facilitate the cooling of the slug, the table may beprovided with water cooling chambers 25 and 26, Fig. 3. When the cooledand solidified slugs reach a certain position of travel, they arebrought beneath the first of a pair or series of machining blades orscrapers 21 and 28. The first scraper cuts away all of the metal to apredetermined depth, leaving but a fine cut to be taken by the secondscraper 28 which thereupon machines the face of the slug to an accuratedistance as, for example, to the surface of the table, and thus providesa very accurate thickness for the finished slug. The scraper blades 21and 28 may be positioned by any suitable means, such as brackets 29 and30, and may be held and accurately positioned therein by adjustableshanks 3| and 32.

During the movement of the casting cavities from the pouring position tothe machining blade 28 the plungers 20 remain in their lowermostposition. The plungers are accurately positioned in their lowermostposition by means of the arms 23 and 24 which limit and hold them fromfalling below a fixed depth. During this passage or movement of thecavities the lowermost ends of the plungers are slightly spaced abovethe upper surface of a circular cam 33 Shown in Fig. 2. As the castingcavities approach a position below the first machining scrapers 2'1, theupper surface of the cam 33 slopes upwardly as at 34 to bring theplunger to a definite position below the cutting blade 21 and,therefore, to 'fiX the distance between the upper surface, of theplunger and the lower edge of the blade 21. While the plunger is passingunder the blade 21 it is held in fixed position by a horizontal surface35 of the cam. Thereafter the cam surface slopes upwardly slightly as at36 to a level position 31 below the second or finishing scraper 28.Immediately thereafter the cam slopes upwardly as at 38 sufiiciently tobring the upper surface of the plunger 20 level with the upper surfaceof the table I6 and thus completely to eject the finished slug.Thereafter as the table continues to rotate, the slug is swept to oneside by the deflecting plate 39. Thereupon, the cam surface dropsdownwardly at 40 to permit the plunger to drop to its lowermost positionas it passes beneath the pouring trough I5. The slugs or blanks 4|brushed to one side by the plate 39 drop into achute 42 and aredelivered to a receiver 43.

The scrapings from the blades 21 and 28 drop into a hopper 44 from whichthey may be returned to the melting kettle. The slugs or blanks thuscast have an upper machined surface 45 which, therefore, makes a sharplymachined edge 46 with the periphery, and a sharply machined edge at 41with an opening 48 formed therein by the central post 2|. The plunger 20is curved upwardly at its peripheral edge 49 so as to form a roundededge 50 on the finished slug 4|. 7

Throughthe above invention I have provided a slug having rounded edges50 whereby it may be readily inserted into the hollow die of thetube'forming mechanism and having an upper machined edge which causesthe metal to fiow evenly and uniformly upwardly in the narrow spacebetween the two dies.v .The central opening 18 permits the passage of astem to form a neck opening without the necessity of displacing anymetal. The casting apparatus is simple in its operation and operateswith great smoothness to produce the finished slugs. Inasmuch as theplunger 20 is not in contact with the cam 33 during the cooling andsolidifying of the metal, the latter is not disturbed by any vibrationsor movements transmitted from the cam to the plunger.

What I claim is- 1. A machine for forming annular collapsible tubeblanks which comprises a casting cavity having a vertical central posttherein, a plunger of annular cross section movable vertically in saidcavity and about said post, means to fill said cavity above said plungerwith molten metal, means to machine the upper surface of the metal insaid cavity, and means to lift said plunger to eject the solidified plugof molten metal from said cavity.

2. A machine for forming annular blanks for collapsible tubes whichcomprises a casting cavity having a central vertical post, a verticallymovable plunger of annular cross section in said cavity and about saidpost, means to fill said cavity above said plunger with molten metal,means to lift said plunger to a predetermined position and to machinethe upper surface of said cast metal, and means thereafter to eject thesolidified metal.

3. Apparatus for forming annular collapsible tube blanks which comprisesmeans for pouring molten metal, a rotatable casting table having acircular series of casting cavities passing successively under saidmetal pouring means, each cavity having a central vertical post and apair of supporting arms therefor, a series of vertically movable annularplungers, one for each casting cavity about its respective post, andhaving radial slots to receive said supporting arms and to support saidplungers in lowermost position, a circular cam below said plungershaving inclined surfaces to raise said plungers to successive heights, amachining blade above said table to machine the upper surface of thesolidified metal in said casting cavity after the first inclined surfaceof said cam, the final inclined surface of said cam serving to eject thefinished blank, and means to deflect the finished blank from the castingtable.

4. Apparatus for forming annular collapsible tube blanks which comprisesmeans for pouring molten metal, a movable casting table having a seriesof casting cavities to pass successively under said metal pouring means,each cavity having a central vertical post and a pair of supporting armstherefor, a series of vertically movable annular plungers, one for eachcasting cavity'about its respective post and having radial slots toreceive said supporting arms and to support said plungers in lowermostposition, a cam below said plungers having inclined surfaces to raisesaid plungers to successive heights, successive machining blades abovesaid table to machine the upper surface of the solidified metal in saidcasting cavity after the first inclined surface of said cam, the finalinclined surface of said cam serving to eject the finished blank, andmeans to deflect the finished blank from the casting table.

5. Apparatus for forming collapsible tube blanks which comprises meansfor pouring molten metal, a movable casting table having a series ofcasting cavities to pass successively under said metal pouring means,each cavity plunger of each said cavity, giving said plungers having avertically movable plunger, means to a final raise to eject the finishedblank.

support said plungers in their lowermost posi- 6. The apparatus of claim2 in which the tions in their respective cavities, means to raise meansto machine the upper surface of the cast said plungers to successiveheights at successive metal comprises a cutting tool having a cutting 5positions of travel of said table, and a machining face at substantiallyright angles to the plane blade above said table to machine the upper oftravel of the cast metal.

surface of the solidified metal in each said cast- PAUL WITTE.

ing cavity after the first raising of the respective

